Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-09-10
CHAPTER TX.
NO TIIE UNKNOWN.


INTO THE UNKNOWN.
A week had passed, and we all sat at sup
per one night in the Mission dining room
feeling yery much depressed In spirits, fol
the lpax u that VIC We're going to say goodby
to our ind friends the Mackenzes, and de-
part UPON our way at dawn on The morrow.
Nothing more had been seen or heard OF
the Nasal, and save for spear or two wlIicl
had been overlooked, and was rlsting in tb
grass and a few empty cartridges where We
had stood outside the wall, it would have
beem difficult TO tell that the old cnttle kraa,
at the foot Of the slope had been the scene CT
so desperate struggle Mackenzie was,
thanks chiefly to his being 50 temperate a
man, rapidly recovering from his wound, and
could get about on n pair of crntches, and as
for the other wounded men, one had died Of
gangrene, and the rest were In fair way to
recovery. Mr.. Mackenze's caravan OF men
bad also returned from the coast, so that the
station was now amply gai1-isoned.
Under these circumstances We concluded.
warm and pressing as were the invitations
for us to stay, that IL was time TO move on
first to ". Keiiia, ard thence into the un.
known in search Of the mysterious white ince
which we had set our hearts on discovering.
This time we were going to progress hv
means OF the humble but useful donkey, OF
which we had collected no less than dozen
to carry our goods and chattels, and, IL neces
sary, ourselves We hal now but two WAX
waits left for servants, and found 1t quite in.
possible TO get other natives 10 venture with
US into the unknown parts we proposed to ex
plore.
That evening. while VIC were sitting on the
veranda, smoking a pipe before turning in,
who should come up TO us but Alphonse, and
with a magnificent bow announce his wish
sor an interview. Being requested to fire
away, he explained at some length that lie
was anxious to attach himself to our party
q statement that astonisiied me not a little,
knowing what coward the little man was.
The reason however, soon appeared. Mr.
Mackenzie was going down to the coest, and
thence on to England. Nov, il be went down
country, Alphonse was persuaded that he
would be seized, cxtradited, sent TO France
and guillotined. This was the idea that
haunted him, as King Charles head haunted
Mr. Dick, and he brooded over it till his
imagination exaggerated the danger ten
TIMES. As matter OF fact, the probability
is that his offcnse against the laws OF his
country had long ago been forgotten, and
that lac would have been allowed to pass un-
molested anywhere except in France; but he
could not be got TO sec this. constitutional
coward as the little man was, no infinitely |
preferred to face the certain hardships and /
great risks and dangers OF such an expedi |
ton as ours than 10 expose himself, notwirh
standing his intense longing for his native |
land, to the possible scrutiny of police Off |
cer--which Il, after all, only another exam-
pllhcation of the truth that to the majority |
of men, far off, forescen danger, however |
sliadowy, is much more terrible than the |
most serious present emergency After GstefI- |
ing TO What lie had TO say, ne consulted
among ourselves, and finally agreed, wi b j
Mr. Mackcnzieis knowledge and consent, to
accept his offer To begin with. wo were
very shorthanded, and Alphonse was quick,
active fellow, who could turn his hand 10
and cool,-ah, he could cookl
believe that he would have made palatable
lish of those CATERS of his heroic grandfather
which he was SO fond Of talking about. Then
10 was a good tempered little man, and
Merry rs a monkey, while his pompous, vain
nent to us; and what is moro, he never boro
'mlice. OF course, his being SO pronounced
coward was O great drawback to him, but
low that we knew his weakness, we could
more on less guard against it, So, after warn
Dg him of the undoubted risks he was expos
1g himself to, we told him that We would nc
ept his offer on condition that he would
rcmise implicit obedience to our or,lcrs We ,
$50 promised to give him wages at the rate ,
[ 9t0 a month should he ever return to a ,
lyilized country to receive them To all OF
mis- he agreed with alacrity, and retired TO |
rite letter to bis Annette, which Mr.. Mac !
enzie promised 10 post when be got down !
ountry. He read IL 10 us afterward, Sir (
Ienry trnnsIating, and wonderful compo- q
ton it was. am sure the depth of his de Z
otion and tho narration Of hil sufferings in I
barbarous country, @far. far from thee, :
nnette, for whose adornd sake endure such !
,rrow," ought 70 have touched up tho feel !
gs OF the stoniest hearted chambermnid. I
Well, the morrow came, and by O'clock j
le donkcys were all loaded, and the tirnc OF n
arting wus at hand. 1t was melancholy :,
lsiness, especially saying goodby to dear v
stie Fivsie she and were great friends, il
Id often used TO have talks together-but a
r nerves had never got over tho shock OF
at awful night when she lay in the power 81
those bloodthirsty Nasal ''Oh, Mr.. "
she cried, throwing her arms n
und my neck and bursting into tears, II '
MT bear to say soodby to you. wonder ri
hen we shall meet ngaiiiT' I,
Al don't know, my dear little girl" / said. Il
am at one end Of life and you are at the r,
her. have but SHIRT time before me at h
st, and most things lie in the past. but >,
pe that for you thcro arc many long and n
ppy years, and everything lies In tho d
turc. Dy aud b. you will grow into a {,
autiful woman, Flossie, AMI ali this Wild &
Q viii be IKE a FAR of dream to you. but e
pc, even II We never do meet again, that :
a win think Of your old friend and remen- q
r what say to you row. Always try to z,
rood. -----9 r4rs rsIssf